Logging and illegal timber threaten Cameroon's forestsCEFR A1
16 Dec 2025
Adapted from Jean Sovon, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Angelo Casto, Unsplash
- Cameroon has large forests across the country.
- These forests store carbon and have many species.
- The forests face pressure from legal and illegal logging.
- People also cut land for farming and roads.
- Wood is sold and sent to other countries.
- Some shipments move across borders secretly.
- This hurts animals and local communities.
- The government loses a lot of money.
- It is hard to stop the illegal logging.
- Local people complain about loss of land.
Difficult words
- carbon — a chemical element in air and living things
- species — a group of similar animals or plants
- illegal — not allowed according to the law
- logging — cutting trees to get wood
- shipment — a group of goods sent to another placeshipments
- border — the line between two countriesborders
- community — a group of people living in one placelocal communities
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you like forests?
- Do you live near a forest?
- What do people use wood for in your country?
Related articles
Low-cost cooling could help Bangladesh garment workers
A University of Sydney study, published in The Lancet Planetary Health on Monday (20 October), tested simple low-cost cooling in a chamber that mimicked extreme factory heat. Fans and water partly restored productivity; a reflective roof cut indoor temperature by 2.5°C.
India's rice export ban prompts push for hybrid rice
India's ban on exports of non-basmati white rice aims to protect local supplies but has tightened global food stocks. Experts and some countries are turning to hybrid rice and investment in farming, while programmes in Asia and Africa expand.
Indigenous rights and knowledge at COP30 in Belém
At COP30 in Belém (November 10–21, 2025), climate scientist Sineia Do Vale said securing Indigenous land rights and combining traditional knowledge with science is essential. Panelists urged funding and policy support after severe fires in Roraima in 2024.